Best Network Interface Card 2024 - Top 10 Picks

This is the ultimate buyer's guide to finding the right network interface card to suit your needs. We review the 10 best network interface card on the market so you know that your next decision will be a smart one!

When you're trying to select the good network interface card, there are a lot of factors to consider. This page has everything you need to know in one place.

This guide will help you avoid the pitfalls that come with researching network interface card.

You don't have to try out every network interface card to find one that meets your needs. After extensive research and hours of in-person tests, we've found the best network interface card to be TP-Link 2.5GB PCIe Network Card (TX201) – PCIe to 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet Network Adapter, Supports Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7, Win Server 2022/2019/2016, Linux. There are a lot of sub-par products out there, but this product is one of the highest quality you'll find. Next best option is Dual-Port PCIe Gigabit Network Card 1000M PCI Express Ethernet Adapter with Intel 82575/82576 Two Ports LAN NIC Card for Support PXE for Windows/Windows Server/Linux/Freebsd/DOS with Low Profile.

Choosing the network interface card can be a daunting task, especially if you're doing it for the first time. Here's what we recommend based on our extensive research. We've compiled a list of the highest rated network interface card. The following products are some of the best you can get right now.

List of Top 10 Network Interface Card

Review of Best Network Interface Card

1. TP-Link 2.5GB PCIe Network Card (TX201) – PCIe to 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet Network Adapter, Supports Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7, Win Server 2022/2019/2016, Linux

  • 2.5 Gbps PCIe Network Card: With the 2.5G Base-T Technology, TX201 delivers high-speeds of up to 2.5 Gbps, which is 2.5x faster than typical Gigabit adapters, guaranteeing smooth data transmissions for both internet access and local data transmissions
  • Versatile Compatibility – The Ethernet Network Adapter is backwards compatible with multiple data rates(2.5 Gbps, 1 Gbps, 100 Mbps Base-T connectivity). The 2.5G Ethernet port automatically negotiates between higher and lower speed connection.
  • QoS: Quality of Service technology delivers prioritized performance for gamers and ensures to avoid network congestion for PC gaming
  • Wake on LAN – Remotely power on or off your computer with WOL, helps to manage your devices more easily
  • Low-Profile and Full-Height Brackets: In addition to the standard bracket, a low-profile bracket is provided for mini tower computer cases

2. Dual-Port PCIe Gigabit Network Card 1000M PCI Express Ethernet Adapter with Intel 82575/82576 Two Ports LAN NIC Card for Support PXE for Windows/Windows Server/Linux/Freebsd/DOS with Low Profile

  • Supports Windows 7/8/2000/XP/Vista/Windows Server 2003/2008/2012; Novell Netware 5.x/6.x; Linux; FreeBSD 7.x or later; DOS; SCO Open Server; UnixWare / OpenUnix 8; Sun Solaris x86; OS Independent Vmware ESX (Does not support VMware ESXi 7.0 or above)
  • PCI Express 2.1. 2.5 GT/s x1 Lane. Compatible with x1, x2,x4, x8, x16 standard and low-profile PCI Express slots.
  • Compatible with IPMI pass-through (SMBus or NC-SI), iSCSI boot, WoL, PXE remote boot, VLAN filtering
  • Support Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and Remote Network Monitoring (RMON).
  • Imported alloy heat sink , can effectively remove excess heat , keep the network card at normal operating temperature and double stable operation

3. 1G Gigabit Ethernet Converged Network Card, Dual RJ45 Port Server Network Card with Intel 82571 Chipset Ethernet Adapter Low Profile LAN NIC Card for Support PXE for Windows/Windows Server/Linux

  • 【Intel 82571 Chipset】 PCI Express X1 Network adapter adopts Intel a high performance Gigabit network JL82571GB controller, By providing unparalleled features of virtualization, flexible features, and proven reliable performance, it solves the high requirements of the generation data center.
  • 【Convert PCIe Slot to Dual RJ45 Ports】Equipped with dual 1Gps RJ45 port which can setup a long-distance link with a file server or a remote workstation, compatible to a PCI Express-enabled client, server, providing a convenient addition or replacement networking interface.
  • 【Date Rate】Half duplex at 10/100Mbp operation and full duplex operation at all supported speeds.
  • IEEE802.3ab ,IEEE802.3u and IEEE802.3 specifications.
  • 【Wide Compatibility】Support Windows Win7/Win-server2012/Win-server2008/Win8/Win8.1/Win-server2016/win10,FreeBSD, Linux , VMWare,ESXi.

4. TP-Link 10GB PCIe Network Card (TX401)-PCIe to 10 Gigabit Ethernet Network Adapter,Supports Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7, Windows Servers 2019/2016/2012 R2, and Linux, Including a CAT6A Ethernet Cable

  • 10 Gbps PCIe Network Card: With the latest 10GBase-T Technology, TX401 delivers extreme speeds of up to 10 Gbps, which is 10× faster than typical Gigabit adapters, guaranteeing smooth data transmissions for both internet access and local data transmissions[1]
  • Versatile Compatibility: With extreme speed and ultra-low latency, 10GBase-T is backwards compatible with multiple data rates (10 Gbps, 5 Gbps, 2.5 Gbps, 1 Gbps, 100 Mbps), automatically negotiating between higher and lower speed connections
  • QoS: Quality of Service technology delivers prioritized performance for gamers and ensures to avoid network congestion for PC gaming
  • Free CAT6A Ethernet Cable: To maximize TX401's performance, a 1.5 m CAT6A Ethernet Cable is included—rated for up to 10 Gbps while a regular cable is only rated for 1 Gbps
  • Low-Profile and Full-Height Brackets: In addition to the standard bracket, a low-profile bracket is provided for mini tower computer cases

5. ASUS XG-C100C 10G Network Adapter PCI-E x4 Card with Single RJ-45 Port and Built-in QoS for use with Windows 10/8.1/8/7 and Linux Kernel 4.4/4.2/3.6/3.2 (XG-C100C)

  • Hyper-fast 10Gbps networking delivers up to 10X-faster data-transfer speeds for bandwidth-demanding tasks
  • Full compatibility with current network standards, including 10/5/2.5/1Gbps and 100Mbps, for seamless backward compatibility
  • Windows and Linux support for flexible OS integration with Windows 10/8.1/8/7 and Linux Kernel 4.4/4.2/3.6/3.2
  • RJ45 port easily upgrades your desktop to 10Gbps networking using standard copper network Cables
  • Prioritize your data with built-in Quality-of-Service (QoS) technology, allowing you to prioritize bandwidth and supported data packets for a smooth online experience

6. Dual-Port PCIe Gigabit Ethernet Server Adapter with NetXtreme BCM5720-2P Chipset PCI Express 1000M Network LAN Card for Windows Sever Linux Ubuntu VMware

  • The BCM5720-2P is compatible with x86 and x64 servers utilizing the PCIe v1.X and v2.X interfaces
  • PCI-E x1,compatible with pci-e x2,x4,x8,x16.Comes with Low Profile Bracket
  • Wide range of applications:Cloud and Web2.0 data center servers,Enterprise data center servers,Private Cloud,Machine Learning (ML) clusters,High-Performance Computing (HPC) clusters,Multi-node container platforms,NVMe storage disaggregation (NVMe-oF),Database servers
  • OS Support:CentOS, Debian, Microsoft Windows, Oracle Linux, Oracle Solaris, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, Ubuntu, VMware, VMware ESX(Esxi 5/6/7/8), VMware vSphere, Windows Hyper-V, Windows Server
  • 180 day worry-free warranty and friendly customer service. If you have any questions, we will help you solve the problem when you need it, and if it can’t be solved, we will provide a refund and no return is required.

7. 2.5GBase-T PCIe Network Adapter RTL8125B 2500/1000/100Mbps PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Card RJ45 LAN Controller Support PXE for Windows/Linux/MAC with Low Profile

  • Compatible for X1,X4,X8,X16,Comes with low profilce bracket
  • Driver link is on the bracket,pls freely download
  • Support PXE function an Wake on LAN
  • Support DSM,PVE,ikuai,unraid6.9.2, OpenWrt ESXI6.7 (Doesn’t support ESXI 7.0)
  • Freely compatible, the network card can support multiple system: Windows ME/98SE/2000/XP, Win7 / Win8 / Win10 / Vista / Sever 2003/2008 / 2012 /2016/ Linux / DOS/MAC OS

8. EDUP Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express PCI-E Network Card 10/100/1000Mbps RJ45 LAN Adapter Converter for Desktop PC

  • With Gigabit Ethernet card, you can add a 10/100/1000Mbps Ethernet port to any PC through a PCI-E slot. Fits any PCI Express x1, x2, x4, x8 or x16 socket; additional 8cm low-profile bracket provides the option for installation in small size HTPC case.
  • EDUP pci-based 10/100/1000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet network adapter card provides a simple connection to a Gigabit Ethernet network, and is fully compatible with 802. 1Q virtual LAN (VLAN) tag. And Ethernet card which Is compliant to IEEE802. 3, IEEE802. 3U & IEEE802. 3ab.
  • Gigabit PCI network adapter Suitable for any pci-enabled client, server or workstation, The Gigabit Ethernet network adapter card Supports high Performance Dual channel networking and maximum data transfer speeds of 1000Mbps in each direction (2000 Mbps total) - up to ten times faster than 10/100 Ethernet.
  • Gigabit network card compatible with Windows 10, 8/8. 1, 2000, XP, Vista, 7. Please kindly note: This product does not support Linux or Mac OS.
  • The high quality PCI Gigabit NIC with 12cm profile bracket and additional 8cm profile bracket. Support: 2-year and free 24/7 technical support.

9. BrosTrend 2.5GB Network Card, PCIe Network Adapter RJ45 NIC with Extra Low-profile Bracket PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Card for Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP, Windows Server... Limited Lifetime Protection

  • 2.5Gbps Next-gen Connection: Unleash extreme speeds on your desktop PC with this 2.5GB PCIe network card. It boosts your connectivity to new heights by delivering 2.5x faster speeds than a typical Gigabit PCIe network adapter
  • Ultra-fast Internet Access: With a boost in speed, latency and responsiveness, this PCIe ethernet card lets you win every gaming battle and enjoy flawless streaming. Harness the latest 2.5GBase-T technology to make the most of your Internet speeds
  • Instant Local Network Transfer: Whether incorporated into your client computer or host server, it builds a blazing-fast connection with other devices in your local network. Elevate local data transmission with this PCIe Ethernet card
  • Durable Metal Shielding: Reduces electromagnetic interferences and improves stability and reliability for every connection. Excellent heat dissipation also ensures a longer lifespan for this PCIe nic
  • Latest Realtek Chip: Works with various systems, including Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7, Windows Server 2022/2016/2012 R2/2012/2008 R2/2008/2003 and Win XP/Vista/2000. Supports Wake on LAN

10. Dual-Port 2.5GBase-T PCIe Network Adapter RTL8125B 2500/1000/100Mbps PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet NIC Card RJ45 LAN Controller

  • Compatible for X1,X2,X4,X8,X16 with Low Profile Bracket
  • Win7/8/10/11,Windows Server 2012/2008 Centos/RHEL 6/7/8, Ubuntu 16/18/19/20, Debian 9/10/11 PVE,IKUAI,Unraid 6.9 and above,DSM 6.2.3/6.2.4/7.0.1/7.1,OpenWrt,Vmware Esxi 5/6(Doesn’t support ESXI 7.0)
  • Compatible with the IEEE 802.3u specification for 10/100Mbps Ethernet, the IEEE 802.3ab specification for 1000Mbps Ethernet and the IEEE 802.3bz specification for 2500Mbps Ethernet.
  • It is also available via CAT5e UTP cable or CAT3 UTP (10Mbps only) cable to provide high speed transmission. It is suitable for multiple market segments and emerging applications, such as desktops, workstations, servers, communication platforms and embedded applications
  • Supports an auxiliary power auto-detect function and will auto-configure related bits of the PCI power management registers in PCI configuration space

Last update on 2024-04-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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